What's Happening in Northvale, NJ…

A selection of individuals who have left their mark on New Jersey have been named ‘Bergen County Legends’ by the county’s Historical Society.

Comprising 10 people, the list includes an Indian chief, an actor, an astronaut, and a poet. Although only four of the selections were born in the county, all were selected because their lives and works are strongly associated with it.

The selections were made after much deliberation. William Carlos Williams, the celebrated poet from Rutherford, is not on the list, though Joyce Kilmer, another poet, is. Kilmer is the author of the famous work ‘Trees’.

The list includes eight men and two women. The female inclusions are Elizabeth Cady Stanton (an early crusader for women’s right who died in 1902) and the author Mary Higgins Clark (who lives in Saddle River and has written more than 30 mysteries).

One of the historical figures on the list is Oratam, a leader of the Hackinkasacky Indians, who died in 1666. He negotiated early land sales in the area. Another is John Borg, who was born in 1883 in Hudson County, worked as a stock broker, and eventually owned the Bergen Evening Record; a paper that exposed local scandal at some risk to Borg.

The historical society might want to work with brochure printers to create a booklet with brief biographies of the honorees and their Bergen County connection, which is likely to be of interest to residents of Northvale and other Bergen County areas.